Preview — Silbertod
by F.E. Higgins

Author of the critically acclaimed Black Book of Secrets, F.E. Higgins returns to the same magical world for this companion novel. Young Pin Carpue is a corpse watcher. His job is to observe the dead to make sure they've truly passed. One day, he witnesses a bone magician reanimate a corpse. Fascinated, he befriends the magician's assistant, and the two strike a secret bar

Author of the critically acclaimed Black Book of Secrets, F.E. Higgins returns to the same magical world for this companion novel. Young Pin Carpue is a corpse watcher. His job is to observe the dead to make sure they've truly passed. One day, he witnesses a bone magician reanimate a corpse. Fascinated, he befriends the magician's assistant, and the two strike a secret bargain.

Community Reviews

Not that long ago, I read The Black Book of Secrets, and really liked it. This is a paraquel to it. Which means, essentially, that the stories were taking place roughly at the same time, in the same fictional country, and have some overlapping points that you'll only realize if you read both books, but otherwise can be read entirely independently. And I liked this one, too, every bit as much as The Black Book of Secrets. This one is set entirely in the fictional, Victorian London-esque city thatNot that long ago, I read The Black Book of Secrets, and really liked it. This is a paraquel to it. Which means, essentially, that the stories were taking place roughly at the same time, in the same fictional country, and have some overlapping points that you'll only realize if you read both books, but otherwise can be read entirely independently. And I liked this one, too, every bit as much as The Black Book of Secrets. This one is set entirely in the fictional, Victorian London-esque city that The Black Book starts in. I liked the new characters, and I'll be interested to see how the two stories collide in a later book. This one has a few more elements of the fantastic about it than The Black Book, though. That was the one thing that I felt could have been developed better. The actual bone magician part seems to take a back seat in the story to the Jack the Ripper-inspired murder plot. If that was meant to be mysterious, it failed, as I never felt the least bit of suspense about what the end result would be. I suspect that it wasn't meant to be a true mystery, though. There is a true mystery left at the end of the book, and I suspect future books in the universe to touch on them....more

The Bone Magician is E F Higgins’s paraquel (a portmanteau of ‘parallel’ and ‘sequel’) to the 2007 release The Black Book of Secrets. Aimed at the middle grade market, it’s an ambitious and beautifully written work that drips with enough atmosphere to sustain not only Mars, but a few other planets as well.

The setting is Urbs Umida, a squalid place full of Dickensian horrors—or at least for those unlucky enough to live on the wrong side of the aptly named River Foedus as, of course, the major chaThe Bone Magician is E F Higgins’s paraquel (a portmanteau of ‘parallel’ and ‘sequel’) to the 2007 release The Black Book of Secrets. Aimed at the middle grade market, it’s an ambitious and beautifully written work that drips with enough atmosphere to sustain not only Mars, but a few other planets as well.

The setting is Urbs Umida, a squalid place full of Dickensian horrors—or at least for those unlucky enough to live on the wrong side of the aptly named River Foedus as, of course, the major characters in the novel do. The city is richly and evocatively imagined, and it’s a nose-tapping, knowing setting for the twisty, serpentine novel that follows. After a quick aside from the author/narrator, we’re dropped into a dark room where Pin, an undertaker’s assistant who’s veritably alone in the world after the death of his mother and the disappearance of his father, is spending the night keeping careful watch over a recently deceased corpse to ensure that it is indeed quite dead.

Unfortunately, while the dead often do remain so, in this instance Pin suffers through a positively galling (or ghouling?) night where he finds himself drugged by a pair of necromancers, and endures the rather grisly sight of a corpse revival. Pin coincidentally comes across the duo again at the local tavern, but is unable to shake the feeling that something is not quite right about the show that they put on for the willing crowd of dipsomaniacs. After a few more twists and turns, Pin finds himself in the company of a phrenologist whose approach to head-measuring largely revolves around made up acronyms and some careful nodding, and an exceptionally well-read dwarf who has discarded his literary bent for the more lucrative career of potato tossing. Having moved in to their lodgings, he once again comes across the necromancer pair, and despite himself finds himself warming to Juno, the younger of the two, who is a young girl who’s carefully evasive about her role in the proceedings—or even about whether they are magical or simply tricksy in nature. Juno is quietly searching for the man who murdered her father—and all while the notorious silver apple killer is on the loose, slowly picking off those who have been whiling away their nights at the afore-mentioned tavern.

The Bone Magician is told from three complementary perspectives: the droll narrator, the hideous and misanthropic journalist Deodonatus Snoad, and Pin, via a surprisingly erudite journal. These largely work well together, although sometimes Pin’s overly adult voice merges with the narrator’s, and Snoad’s loathsome and veering rants slow things down a little. The strange casting mix and the multiple voices warn the young reader up front that they may well be in for a challenging read, but there’s little doubt that they will find themselves joyfully awash in wordplay and strange and unusual vocabulary, as well as some very confident and winsome plotting (and quite a bit of gruesomeness that’s sure to win over the reluctant readers)....more

The Bone Magician is a very different book from most books. It starts out in a town named Urbs Umidia. Urbs Umidia is split into two sections, the North and the South. The North is full of rich people, who have all money, but don't work a day in their life. What happens if they run low on money? They secretly murder one of their neighbors and take their fortunes for themselves. In contrast, the South is full of poor beggars who live on pick-pocketing others. It is a place full of violence, butThe Bone Magician is a very different book from most books. It starts out in a town named Urbs Umidia. Urbs Umidia is split into two sections, the North and the South. The North is full of rich people, who have all money, but don't work a day in their life. What happens if they run low on money? They secretly murder one of their neighbors and take their fortunes for themselves. In contrast, the South is full of poor beggars who live on pick-pocketing others. It is a place full of violence, but not as much murdering. That is, until the Silver Apple Killer shows up... Pin Carpue is a boy who lives on the South side. His mother is from the North, but she married a man from the South. This was a very dangerous move, but she did it. Sadly, his mom died, and it made Pin's father slowly waste away. One day Pin comes home and finds his uncle dead on the ground, and his father missing. Everyone suspects it was Mr. Carpue who is the murderer. So now Pin is left to fend for himself on his own in the rough South side. Pin takes up a job watching dead bodies to see if they will wake up. Then, all of a sudden, one day Pin is drugged watching a body named Sybil. He kind of wakes up a little later, but not enough for those around to see. All of a sudden, two people, after a lot of potions and sayings, make Sybil rise from the dead to talk to her husband. Pin cannot believe it. The secret? You have to read to find out. This book is about how Pin makes his way around the city looking for his father and the Silver Apple Killer to show everyone that these two names are not the same person. I really liked this book, and thought it started a little slow, but really kept me reading through the end. I thought F. E. Higgins did a great job writing this book. She started out with switching between multiple characters seeming not at all related, but brought them all together in the end. I would recommend this book to all who love mystery and adventure....more

I give this book a 10. It is written in the first person and the second and is written very well. It has interesting characters and thoughts about humans and life. "I wonder if it is better to be in a beautiful house looking at an ugly one, or to be in an ugly house looking at a beautiful one." Pin is the main character. He works for an undertaker named Goddfrey Gaufridus, who one day when he was a teenager went into a coma. Luckily the undertaker was dishonest and sold him to the medical collegI give this book a 10. It is written in the first person and the second and is written very well. It has interesting characters and thoughts about humans and life. "I wonder if it is better to be in a beautiful house looking at an ugly one, or to be in an ugly house looking at a beautiful one." Pin is the main character. He works for an undertaker named Goddfrey Gaufridus, who one day when he was a teenager went into a coma. Luckily the undertaker was dishonest and sold him to the medical college. He woke up just as they were getting ready to carve him up. He makes it is life's work to insure that the people he buries are dead for sure! He has all kinds of contraptions to awake them such as a leather toe sock you put on and jerk their foot, ect... It's creative, funny and insightful. There's a frustrated poet dwarf who throws potatoes, Aluph Buncombe, a reader of Bumps and it has the feel of Beauty and the Beast of Phantom of the Opera and is funny. I felt like the author was describing London in the time of the plague. He has another book,The Black Book of Secrets. Definitely worth the read....more

This book looked right up my alley and when I saw it I had to pick it up. It is the second book in the Tales from the Sinister City series by Higgins. I actually hadn't read the first book, The Black Book of Secrets, and didn't realize this book was part of a series. The good thing is that you can still really enjoy The Bone Magician without having read the first book. Right now there are two more books in this series; The Eye Collector and The Lunatic's Curse. I really enjoyed this book, it hadThis book looked right up my alley and when I saw it I had to pick it up. It is the second book in the Tales from the Sinister City series by Higgins. I actually hadn't read the first book, The Black Book of Secrets, and didn't realize this book was part of a series. The good thing is that you can still really enjoy The Bone Magician without having read the first book. Right now there are two more books in this series; The Eye Collector and The Lunatic's Curse. I really enjoyed this book, it had wonderful characters and a deliciously dark and sinister setting.

Pin is a boy who watches corpses for a living. It's not a bad job and it pays decent. With his mother dead and his father missing Pin is making due; living in a horribly dingy apartment in a city that is dark, foggy, and dangerous. Then while watching a corpse he is drugged by a couple of people who come in and raise the corpse to talk to it; thus he meets The Bone Magician and his young female assistant Juno. Outside of his job Pin has a mission, to prove that his father is not a murderer. Pin will get involved with a plethora of interesting characters along the way; The Bone Magician, Juno, the Silver Apple Killer (the cities requisite serial killer), and the horrible Gluttonous Beast to name a few.

This is a dark book, but it is deliciously so. The setting is foggy, Victorian, and darkly depressing...what I imagine the poorer parts of a city would have actually been like in this time frame. What really holds this book together are the strong flashes of wonderful kindness that are sprinkled through the darkness. For instance Pin, despite his horrible last year, is a surprisingly upstanding and responsible boy, with much depth to his character. Pin's employer is also surprisingly kind; it is like Pin knows how to bring out the best in the people he meets...he is a bright spot in a dark city.

There is a dark mystery mixed throughout, as the city tries to figure out the identity of the Silver Apple Killer. We see the story from many points of view: some parts are taken from Pin's Journal, some parts are from Pin's point of view, some from Juno's, some of the book is taken from newspapers, etc. I liked how all the miscellaneous sources worked well together to create an interesting story. I was actually impressed with the creativity and the craft it took to have all these journal entries, newspaper clippings, etc. brought together to makes this wonderful story.

Despite its darkness, the story is uplifting in the end. The book is creepy, but never really scary. It would be appropriate for middle grade and up. There is a lot of dealing with death in this book (since Pin does work for an undertaker) and a lot of descriptions of people living in abject poverty; but there isn't really anything too graphic or inappropriate.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. I love dark stories with a dark fairy tale feel to them that are full of mystery; I also love that the wonderful characters struggle against all odds to bring kindness and light into the dark world they live in. This book made me eager to pick up Higgins other Tales for the Sinister City books. If you are a fan of The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney I think you would like this dark and atmospheric story. This story is a keeper for me and I hope to read it to my son one day soon. ...more

The Bone Magician was an excellent follow up to F.E. Higgins's Black Book of Secrets. I love how she weaves all the characters together and that they are independent of each other. As always, the characters are very interesting and the plot is fast paced and captivating. The tale has the Gothic overtones and is a little bit creepy without being over the top and pointless. There are references to drugs and murder which might not make it appropriate for younger readers, but it would be a great addThe Bone Magician was an excellent follow up to F.E. Higgins's Black Book of Secrets. I love how she weaves all the characters together and that they are independent of each other. As always, the characters are very interesting and the plot is fast paced and captivating. The tale has the Gothic overtones and is a little bit creepy without being over the top and pointless. There are references to drugs and murder which might not make it appropriate for younger readers, but it would be a great addition to any school library for students grades 4 and older. ...more

Before I read this book I judged a book by its cover. I decided to give The Black Book of Secrets a try. I liked that one a lot and was excited to see it was part of a series. I was a little less excited when I found out the next book doesn't have the same characters but involves the city which book one took place. I liked the description of this book so figured I would keep going. I was a little let down.

Before I read this book I judged a book by its cover. I decided to give The Black Book of Secrets a try. I liked that one a lot and was excited to see it was part of a series. I was a little less excited when I found out the next book doesn't have the same characters but involves the city which book one took place. I liked the description of this book so figured I would keep going. I was a little let down.

This book is about Pin who is a young man out on his own. His mother is dead and his father is missing because he is suspected of murder.Pin takes a job as body watcher with the local undertaker. Body watcher is a job that is exactly like it sounds. Pin has to watch the bodies for three days to make sure they are good and dead before they are buried because they have to often thought someone was dead and buried them only to find they were in fact alive. Now this is set in times before modern medicine had advanced. Their idea of seeing if someone was dead was to hold a mirror under their nose to see if it picked up steam. One night he is knocked on the head and watches as a group of people bring the corpse he is watching back to life so her husband can say his good byes.

Sounds interesting right, well it took forever to get going which isn't a good thing considering how short this book is. I found myself bored and my mind drifting through most of this book. It didn't really get better at the end. The big reveal was kind of a let down. I think this is the end of my reading of this series.

Well, it wont come as a surprise that my rating is rather low. I give this 2 out of 5 stars. Not saying this is a bad book but I just didn't care for it. The summary sounded like it was going to be very interesting it just struggled to get going. ...more

It supposed to be scary at least promised by the reviews written inside the book, i didn't find it that disturbing, but lets be honest its children's book and i am a hint away from early middle-agedom...nevertheless its still a good read, and although a bit predictable sometimes still with twists that make you go a-ha in the end... i cant wait for the next installment where the stories from this and previous book come together...

Even better than The Black Book of Secrets. This one tells the story of a young boy whose job it is to sit up with dead bodies overnight at the undertaker's to make sure they're really dead. He discovers a network of swindlers that he has to muster the courage to take on. Higgins adds to the mysteries of her series by the end, promising more to come.

This is for the older, more experienced child reader. The vocabulary within it is too difficult for the younger reader. The writing style used is rather formal which impacts upon the flow of the book. The topic itself is based upon the re animation of corpses which might confuse a younger child which would prevent me from suggesting it as a book to read to children under a certain age. I feel this book might be more suited to teenagers or upper primary age.

I must admit, I didn't realise this wasThis is for the older, more experienced child reader. The vocabulary within it is too difficult for the younger reader. The writing style used is rather formal which impacts upon the flow of the book. The topic itself is based upon the re animation of corpses which might confuse a younger child which would prevent me from suggesting it as a book to read to children under a certain age. I feel this book might be more suited to teenagers or upper primary age.

I must admit, I didn't realise this was the 2nd book of a series which might be why I initially found it hard to follow all of the characters changing throughout the chapters. It took a while to get into it, then everything fell into place and the read more enjoyable. ...more

This is a wonderful middle grade age mystery that is a paraquel to The Black Book of Secrets, meaning they take place at the same time. This story is set in the fictional town of Urbs Umida which is split by a foul smelling river into north and south sections. The north is where the wealthy live and often smells better than the south.

There is more than one mystery taking place in this story. Some are more easy to untangle than others. Pin Carpue is searching for his father who has been accusedThis is a wonderful middle grade age mystery that is a paraquel to The Black Book of Secrets, meaning they take place at the same time. This story is set in the fictional town of Urbs Umida which is split by a foul smelling river into north and south sections. The north is where the wealthy live and often smells better than the south.

There is more than one mystery taking place in this story. Some are more easy to untangle than others. Pin Carpue is searching for his father who has been accused of killing Pin's uncle when he runs across the Bone Magician that has the ability to speak for the dead. Pin is determined to find this secret. Meanwhile, there is a serial killer terrorizing the city and everyone is afraid to go out at night.

I loved the new characters as well as the tangle of mysteries taking place and the ties to the Black Book of Secrets. I'm intrigued to see how things continue in the books to come. And I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of a dark mystery. Its not just a good read for kids. I loved it....more

So this book confused me. Or I guess you could say my reaction to it confused me. I listened to the audiobook and that may have been the problem. This book is basically the Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell for YA readers. It read the same way (minus the footnotes) and had many characters with different backstories and overlapping threads. I actually really liked it, but I think it was difficult to listen to. I really wish I would have read the paperback. I think I could have paid better attentSo this book confused me. Or I guess you could say my reaction to it confused me. I listened to the audiobook and that may have been the problem. This book is basically the Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell for YA readers. It read the same way (minus the footnotes) and had many characters with different backstories and overlapping threads. I actually really liked it, but I think it was difficult to listen to. I really wish I would have read the paperback. I think I could have paid better attention and kept better track of all the different characters. But that's my issue. The book itself was intriguing and very well written. I found out right after I finished reading it though that this is the second book in the series!!! I hate when that happens. In this case, it isn't completely terrible though. F.E. Higgins says that her books are paraquels -- meant to be read alongside each other rather than before or after each other. The story contents of book one (The Black Book of Secrets) happen simultaneously to The Bone Magician staring different, but related characters. It could have been worse! I'll just read it next and I'm sure I'll survive....more

I picked this up not realizing it was part of a series of books, nor realizing it was intended for children/tweens. It is described as a ‘Paraquel’ which means the story runs parallel to the previous one is written and can be read as a standalone. However, as I read the book, it became clear to me that the world our main character, Pin, inhabits would have been more appreciated if the first book was read. Additionally the ending of this book clearly ties in with the first book. It may be paralleI picked this up not realizing it was part of a series of books, nor realizing it was intended for children/tweens. It is described as a ‘Paraquel’ which means the story runs parallel to the previous one is written and can be read as a standalone. However, as I read the book, it became clear to me that the world our main character, Pin, inhabits would have been more appreciated if the first book was read. Additionally the ending of this book clearly ties in with the first book. It may be parallel in nature, but I highly recommend readers to pick up book number one.

As an adult I still enjoyed the story because it reminded me of the kind of books I would like to read as a child. It’s mysterious, strange, and the characters are corky. The book had enough turns and twists to keep up my interest (albeit some a little predictable). However I think the author did a good job writing from a child’s perspective in a strange dark world. I am giving it a 4/5 because I know my younger self would have loved this kind of book. However, as an adult, I don’t plan to venture further into this series because I have stronger interests that lie in other books waiting for me to open.

The more I thought about the ending of this book, the more ripped off I felt. From reading the multitude of comments that refer to the 'paraquel' status and the accompanying glowing reviews of the the 'other' story, The Black Book of Secrets, I gather that this is a good thing.

Well, maybe - IF I'd read anything in the book's description (I don't usually read reviews until afterward, too many people don't grasp the concept of what a spoiler is) that tells me something else is going on at the sameThe more I thought about the ending of this book, the more ripped off I felt. From reading the multitude of comments that refer to the 'paraquel' status and the accompanying glowing reviews of the the 'other' story, The Black Book of Secrets, I gather that this is a good thing.

Well, maybe - IF I'd read anything in the book's description (I don't usually read reviews until afterward, too many people don't grasp the concept of what a spoiler is) that tells me something else is going on at the same time.

Seriously, the story was fine as it stood. I assume that the mild flatness had something to do with its YA genre. If it had been left alone, everything would have been fine.

But the "appendices" - those that tied this story into one I haven't read - really ruined the positive (though not gushing) review I was prepared to write. Would I have enjoyed the book more had I read the other book? Is the other book truly a standalone book? Is this one? Have I missed a richer reading experience by reading these out of order?

See? I feel ripped off. It might have been better in some way. Were I a Young Adult reader, I might even have had that 'everyone's got a cooler bike than mine' feeling when I realized that 'everyone else' probably got more from the book than I did.

And I really don't think this is a paraquel (a term, by the way, that has been in use for fewer than 5 years, AFAIK) but rather a companion piece - a story that can stand alone and is not diminished or enhanced based upon the reader's familiarity with other books written in the same world, with the same characters, whatever.

Unless you're told in the appendix that you've missed something....more

A paraquel, or parallel story, in the same alternate world as 'The Black Book of Secrets' by the same author. After his beloved mother dies and his father is a murder suspect and disappears, Pin Carpue fends for himself by working for an undertaker as a ‘body watcher’, sitting all night with bodies making sure they are really dead before they’re buried. One night, after being partially drugged, the body he is watching sits up and talks as a ‘bone magician’ (waker of the dead) and his female ass A paraquel, or parallel story, in the same alternate world as 'The Black Book of Secrets' by the same author. After his beloved mother dies and his father is a murder suspect and disappears, Pin Carpue fends for himself by working for an undertaker as a ‘body watcher’, sitting all night with bodies making sure they are really dead before they’re buried. One night, after being partially drugged, the body he is watching sits up and talks as a ‘bone magician’ (waker of the dead) and his female assistant, Juno, perform mysterious rites over it. Thus starts his association with the bone magician’s world as he is pulled into their secrets as well as the lure of the Gluttonous Beast creature on display locally, and the increasing town hysteria over a serial killer nicknamed The Silver Apple Killer, who almost kills Pin. Pin (short for Crispin) has to figure out who to pin his hopes on to survive. This is a dark atmospheric mystery with a very Dickensian flavor of life for the poor in a city whose putrid river divides the rich and the poor. You can almost smell the river and feel the damp mist! Pin is a very likeable character who faces his adversities with integrity and a sense of optimism. Readers may shiver with the creepiness of some parts, but this is not horror or magic, rather a mystery in a dark world with some wry humor and many twists and turns. An abrupt ending indicates a sequel. ...more

Alone in the world, Pin Carpue, must make his way after his mother's death and his father's flee from authorities. Pin's father is a suspect in his uncle's death. Pin is more educated than most on the south side of the River Foedus. His mother was a wealthy northsider who wanted a better life for Pin. But, with both parents gone, Pin finds employment in the local undertaker's business as a body-watcher. One night, as he sits over a newly-deceased body, three people sneak into the room. Before hiAlone in the world, Pin Carpue, must make his way after his mother's death and his father's flee from authorities. Pin's father is a suspect in his uncle's death. Pin is more educated than most on the south side of the River Foedus. His mother was a wealthy northsider who wanted a better life for Pin. But, with both parents gone, Pin finds employment in the local undertaker's business as a body-watcher. One night, as he sits over a newly-deceased body, three people sneak into the room. Before his eyes, a young woman named Juno and her uncle, The Bone Magician, amazingly make the deceased body rise from the dead. He cannot believe his eyes! This sets Pin off in a quest to find out how these strangers make their magic. Along the way, he and the people of Urbs Umida fall prey to serial killer named The Silver Apple Killer. Just how are the bone magician, his father, and the silver apple killer connected in Pin's life? In The Bone Magician by F.E.Higgins, you will meet many odd and mysterious characters and you will be treated to creepy, dark, and sinister doings. The Bone Magician is a paraquel to The Black Book of Secrets....more

Even better than the last one. Mystery that grips you 'til the very end while seamlessly tying together an array of seemingly unrelated characters.

The characters are the best aspect of these books because all of them possess something curious that attaches you to their stories. Their unconventional professions, their peculiar and/or mysterious back stories, and their unique goals and ambitions create a very multilayered narration.

Also enjoyed the little tidbits tying this book to the previousEven better than the last one. Mystery that grips you 'til the very end while seamlessly tying together an array of seemingly unrelated characters.

The characters are the best aspect of these books because all of them possess something curious that attaches you to their stories. Their unconventional professions, their peculiar and/or mysterious back stories, and their unique goals and ambitions create a very multilayered narration.

Also enjoyed the little tidbits tying this book to the previous one, made me want to go back and flip through it once more. I have never encountered a book that does that quite in this manner, and it is very exciting to catch those tendrils where the stories connect.

Also love the interior design of the book itself. The different typefaces separating Pin's Journal, Snoad's articles, as well as the posters and advertisements envelop you into the story as if you were also part of this era.

Pin is a body watcher. He watches over dead bodies for an undertaker. Not a pleasant job in the slummy south side of Urbs Umida, but Pin has to earn a living when his mother died and his father disappeared, presumably to avoid arrest as a murder suspect. One fateful night, Pin witnessed a "raising of the dead" orchestrated by the Bone Magician and his young female assistant Juno. From here, Pin is pulled into the mystery and magic of the waker of the dead. Through it all, Pin's own pursuit to fiPin is a body watcher. He watches over dead bodies for an undertaker. Not a pleasant job in the slummy south side of Urbs Umida, but Pin has to earn a living when his mother died and his father disappeared, presumably to avoid arrest as a murder suspect. One fateful night, Pin witnessed a "raising of the dead" orchestrated by the Bone Magician and his young female assistant Juno. From here, Pin is pulled into the mystery and magic of the waker of the dead. Through it all, Pin's own pursuit to find his missing father and prove his innocence mixes up with Juno's own search for her father's murderer, while being wary of the threat of a serial murderer--the Silver Apple Killer.

This book has fascinating characters that makes the story unforgettable. The setting is darkly mysterious and dangerous, yet not devoid of optimism. It is an interesting read that will transport you to the atmospheric reality of Pin's world and his strange experiences....more

The book,The Bone Magician, is about an average boy named Pin Carpue and his father is considered a murder while his mother is dead. Pin has a job to make sure the dead is really dead. But one day Pin sees a bone magician raise a dead woman from the grave. Ever since then Pin has been obsess with finding out the powers of the bone magician. This book is interesting because it's a book about rising people from the dead but also a mystery story.

Let me preface by saying that I have never read The Black Book of Secrets, and this is my first encounter entirely with Higgins' work. That being said, this was one of the more disjointed books I have ever read as far as plot is concerned. There is a lot of jumping between characters as each chapter starts. While that is not an uncommon method of switching the POV in a book, rarely have I ever seen it happen by way of introducing a character just to kill them off in the span of a five page chaptLet me preface by saying that I have never read The Black Book of Secrets, and this is my first encounter entirely with Higgins' work. That being said, this was one of the more disjointed books I have ever read as far as plot is concerned. There is a lot of jumping between characters as each chapter starts. While that is not an uncommon method of switching the POV in a book, rarely have I ever seen it happen by way of introducing a character just to kill them off in the span of a five page chapter. Personally I found it disorienting to read. And some characters were given such grand character development without having any significant interaction with the other characters until the very end, which I found confusing to have included at all until their usefulness was finally revealed. In the end, I felt the book was okay at best. I doubt I will pick up The Black Book unless I do so in the spirit of completeness....more

I just love this series of books!Yes, they are creepy, and full of noxious tales, but they also tell heartwarming stories of friendship and survival.Pin, whose mother is dead, will not believe his father is a murderer. His father disappeared after the questionable death of Pin's uncle.Juno is an orphan, her father killed and she left homeless and to her own devices.Together they navigate the seedy town in which they live, doing whatever is necessary to survive. Sitting through the night with corI just love this series of books!Yes, they are creepy, and full of noxious tales, but they also tell heartwarming stories of friendship and survival.Pin, whose mother is dead, will not believe his father is a murderer. His father disappeared after the questionable death of Pin's uncle.Juno is an orphan, her father killed and she left homeless and to her own devices.Together they navigate the seedy town in which they live, doing whatever is necessary to survive. Sitting through the night with corpses to make sure they're really dead; raising the dead to reveal secrets that went to the grave but must now be unearthed. It's a dark tale to be sure but Pin and Juno now have each other to help them cope with all of life's ups and downs. Can't wait to read the 3rd book in this paraquel. (3 books written during the same time frame, with some overlapping characters, but each is a unique and individual tale.)...more

The second of interesting series of young adult books set in a quasi-alternative world (though very much similar to 1800s England). The first two books are billed as paraquels (i.e. they take place at the same time). In The Bone Magician, after the disappearance of his murder accused father, Pin Carpue finds employment as a corpse watcher. That is a he sits beside a corpse for a few days to make sure it is really dead and won’t wake up. One night, he witnesses a corpse raising and later encounteThe second of interesting series of young adult books set in a quasi-alternative world (though very much similar to 1800s England). The first two books are billed as paraquels (i.e. they take place at the same time). In The Bone Magician, after the disappearance of his murder accused father, Pin Carpue finds employment as a corpse watcher. That is a he sits beside a corpse for a few days to make sure it is really dead and won’t wake up. One night, he witnesses a corpse raising and later encounters the mysterious bone magician and his young assistant, Juno, who seemingly bring the dead to life. A phrenologist, a caged Beast, a righteous journalist, a series of bizarre murders and a potato-throwing dwarf add to the thickly detailed and fascinating world that Higgin’s creates. While I may not be 9 to 13, I had a great time and I look forward to her next tale, The Eyeball Collector....more

I think the theme of this book is friendship and I have 3 examples. The first one is that Beag Hickory and Aluph Buncombe saved Pin by asking him to join them. Pin was very hungry and didn't have a home. They became friends and so that is that. The second example is that Pin was very curious about Juno and she was too. They first didn't really know anything and then they talked to each other. They learned to know each other better and became friends. The third example is that Juno was at Pin's mI think the theme of this book is friendship and I have 3 examples. The first one is that Beag Hickory and Aluph Buncombe saved Pin by asking him to join them. Pin was very hungry and didn't have a home. They became friends and so that is that. The second example is that Pin was very curious about Juno and she was too. They first didn't really know anything and then they talked to each other. They learned to know each other better and became friends. The third example is that Juno was at Pin's mother's grave. He got this jewelry that says J.O. It was initials for his mother's name and thought that Juno wanted to steal it. He was furious at first but then she calmed him down. They misunderstood each other and finally came to a conclusion. They didn't know which one was which so they just did something to it. So here it is about understanding each other in hard times. ...more

Absolutely fantastic. I cant believe i almost put it down and stopped reading after the first two chapters. It was very hard to get into, but once it picked up speed, it never let go. For the first time since Harry Potter 7, I stayed up reading into the early hours of the morning to finish. THE BONE MAGICIAN is brilliantly well written, with remarkable characters and a smart plot. Originally, It seems like every plot line is random and loose, but then it all ties up cleverly. Everything in thisAbsolutely fantastic. I cant believe i almost put it down and stopped reading after the first two chapters. It was very hard to get into, but once it picked up speed, it never let go. For the first time since Harry Potter 7, I stayed up reading into the early hours of the morning to finish. THE BONE MAGICIAN is brilliantly well written, with remarkable characters and a smart plot. Originally, It seems like every plot line is random and loose, but then it all ties up cleverly. Everything in this book had a reason for being there, there was not a single thing that could have been left out.A superb mystery novel, with lots of suspense, adventure and action thrown in. It was also a tad creepy.Well done F.E Higgins on creating such a marvelous book. Very,very mysterious and clever, filled to the top with unique and great characters.

This is the second book in the YA Sinister City series and it is every bit as well written as the first book, The Black Book of Secrets.

The series looks at the seamier side of life in Urbs Umida, which is a thinly veiled, Victorian-era London.

This book explores the squalor of Dickensian life on the wrong side of the river and touches on side-show horrors, phrenology and body-watching (a duty taken on by some undertakers to be certain that the dead were actually dead before burial).

While the bookThis is the second book in the YA Sinister City series and it is every bit as well written as the first book, The Black Book of Secrets.

The series looks at the seamier side of life in Urbs Umida, which is a thinly veiled, Victorian-era London.

This book explores the squalor of Dickensian life on the wrong side of the river and touches on side-show horrors, phrenology and body-watching (a duty taken on by some undertakers to be certain that the dead were actually dead before burial).

While the books are loosely related, and the activities run in parallel to each other, there is a common thread that runs through the books that makes it IMPERATIVE that the books are read in order.

Another excellent entry into the books of F.E. Higgins. This tale revolves around a boy named Pin whose mother has died and whose father fled after being accused of murder. Pin works watching corpses to make sure they are really dead before they are finally buried. One night he witnesses the bone magicians raise the dead for the grieving widower to make final amends and thus begins his intriguing journey in a city filled with a whole cast of unique and intriguing characters, both good and evil,Another excellent entry into the books of F.E. Higgins. This tale revolves around a boy named Pin whose mother has died and whose father fled after being accused of murder. Pin works watching corpses to make sure they are really dead before they are finally buried. One night he witnesses the bone magicians raise the dead for the grieving widower to make final amends and thus begins his intriguing journey in a city filled with a whole cast of unique and intriguing characters, both good and evil, including the Silver Apple Killer who has the city gripped in terror.

While the mystery in this book is solved, others are raised in the whole series about how everyone in this series is unknowingly tied together. I look forward to future books that will start (hopefully) answering these questions....more

A Paraquel to The Black Book of Secrets (i.e. the story is set at the same time, parallel to the first book, so not a sequel but a complimentary story set in the same world) this is the story of Pin Carpue, whose father ran away accused of killing his uncle and whose mother is dead. He works as an apprentice mortician. There's a killer in town and no-one knows who or why. Pin's father is held as a possible candidate for this murderer.

It's not a bad read but to me it lacked a certain something. IA Paraquel to The Black Book of Secrets (i.e. the story is set at the same time, parallel to the first book, so not a sequel but a complimentary story set in the same world) this is the story of Pin Carpue, whose father ran away accused of killing his uncle and whose mother is dead. He works as an apprentice mortician. There's a killer in town and no-one knows who or why. Pin's father is held as a possible candidate for this murderer.

It's not a bad read but to me it lacked a certain something. I suppose I was hoping for more magic in the story. It was a good read and I don't regret reading and I do look forward to more by this author but I wasn't as impressed with this one as by the first....more

F.E. Higgins has been fascinated by the macabre ever since seeing a ghostly apparition as a child. Nowadays Higgins travels the lands that these books describe, collecting strange artifacts and the even stranger stories behind them. When not in pursuit of a story, Higgins may be found in a haunted house in Kent, where a dismembered hand cradles a large diamond on the mantelpiece.